Aidnography

Hi all, A good, rich, interesting #globaldev week is coming to its end! Development news: IMF doesn't like global consultancies (no, really!); new humanitarians; DfID's privatization; don't believe the Gates & Pinkers of the world! UNDP reform, Vol. XXVI; Scammers target Finland's development funds; menstruation myths; Pakistan's doctor bride myths; women empowerment data myths; a private security company disappeared in Afghanistan; Senegal's new museum of black civilizations; Cacao & blockchain; altruism meets voluntourism; Chiwetel Ejiofor in Malawi; humanitarian dogs; musicians in DRC. Our digital lives: Facebook sell-outs. Publications: How to be a good guest; UNDP & media engagement; a book on good data. Academia: Sleep, exhausting & being a black woman in academia; MOOCs didn't disrupt much; an autoethnography of research application writing. Enjoy! Development news IMF chief tells poor countries to cut use of global consultancy...

Hi all, The first week of our new semester was busy, but the #globaldev news front was actually a bit quieter...nonetheless some interesting stuff featuring Clooney, Prendergast & the Spice Girls, a strange tale of an American missionary who seems to have practiced medicine without a license in Uganda, a harrowing story about violence & trauma in South Sudan and the extension of imperialism via women at the top of the military-industrial complex & as political ambassadors in Germany... Enjoy! New from aidnography Can you imagine a world without Think Tanks? Perhaps the answers to the title of the post are less rhetorical than the title suggests, but I have been wondering lately what the role of Thinks Tanks in the international development industry really is. (...) It’s 2019 after all and I wonder what would happen if they/many/some weren’t around anymore. Haven’t other institutional arrangements caught up to think-tanky ways of working? Development news 8 things w...

This post has been sitting in my draft folder for far too long. I actually do not remember what triggered the first draft, but I seem to remember vaguely that among calls for organizational reforms in higher education or international organizations not enough debate seems to take place on why we need Think Tanks in international affairs & development in their current shape & size... Yes, I typed "Think Tank" into Google Image search... Perhaps the answers to the title of the post are less rhetorical than the title suggests, but I have been wondering lately what the role of Thinks Tanks in the international development industry really is. Don’t get me wrong: Many great colleagues do great work at great thinks tanks and I received my PhD from a prominent institution that works partly as an academic department, partly as a think tank and partly as a consulting firm. But it ’ s 2019 after all and I wonder what would happen if they/many/some weren’t around anymore. H...

Hi all,  Busy, satisfying day at work today-so without further delay & a long intro here's this week's link review! Excellent thesis examination day so far! From #Myanmar to #Scotland , #Venezuela , #Sweden & #Chile our students cover amazing #globaldev & #C4D ground! — ComDev Malmö University (@mahcomdev) January 18, 2019 Enjoy! New from aidnography How men fit into the quest for more women leaders in global health “Sitting in the literal back row and listening to female participants is an important role to show the physical presence but at the same time take yourself back and say ‘I’m actually here to listen,’” he said. “Men as listeners is still an important way of showing solidarity, support, and empathy to the issue.” Research has also found that women are less likely to ask questions at a panel discussion if the first person to speak in the audience is a man, Denskus explained. Therefore, making a conscious effort to ensure a woman speaks f...